How France’s far-right National Rally plans to secure its absolute majority in parliament

David RICH

3 July 2024 at 11:27 am·1-min read

Buoyed by its resounding success in the first round of the snap legislative elections, France’s far-right National Rally party is hoping to secure an absolute majority in the second round on July 7. Before it can achieve this, however, party leader Jordan Bardella will have to fend off both the leftist New Popular Front and President Emmanuel Macron’s Ensemble coalition.

Will France’s far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National or RN) party win an absolute majority in the National Assembly? That is the question on everyone’s lips ahead of the second round of snap legislative elections on July 7.

The RN – backed by some members of the right-wing Les Républicains party – won the first round of the legislative elections with 33.1% of the vote, followed by the New Popular Front (28%) and President Emmanuel Macron’s Ensemble coalition (20%). A clear favourite to win the second round, the RN could nevertheless lose if the leftist coalition and Macron’s party work together and withdraw their respective third-place candidates in order to block the far right. The New Popular Front has withdrawn more than 130 of its candidates and the presidential camp more than 80 in constituencies where the RN has a good chance of winning.

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